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UNLOC is a UK research programme focused on unlocking the capacity of optical communications. It is a £4.8 million five-year collaborative project between the Optical Networks Group at UCL, Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies at Aston University and multiple industry partners. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), our team's mission is to unlock the capacity of optical communication systems.

Research within UNLOC focuses on developing new theoretical and experimental approaches to increase the capacity of optical fibre transmission technologies, which support and transform our economy, science, education, healthcare, transport and almost every other aspect of modern life.

Combining techniques from information theory, coding, advanced modulation formats, digital signal processing and advanced photonics, we develop breakthrough techniques to ensure that the underlying communications infrastructure can continue to meet the growing demand for faster and more reliable global networks.

The Programme Grant Unloc Finished on 28 February 2018

We have spent the last 6 years unlocking the capacity of optical communications (and at least another year beforehand writing the proposal!). I think it's been a very successful programme and we have made huge, huge progress. Not least - in the people who have worked on the programme and have gone on, all over the world to unlock aspects of optical systems and networks! We have achieved great results, published exceptional papers, we have received prizes, grants, awards, accolades, fellowships - but most importantly - made great friendships and had a wonderful time!Hopefully we will do more together! Thank you to all the members of our advisory board who have helped to strengthen the programme and keep it focused. The impact of UNLOC has been tremendous will continue through our new EPSRC programme grant TRANSNET on the transformation of optical networks through intelligent transceivers, unlocking bounds and capacities, and breaking new ground!We have spent the last 6 years unlocking the capacity of optical communications (and at least another year beforehand writing the proposal!). I think it's been a very successful programme and we have made huge, huge progress. Not least - in the people who have worked on the programme and have gone on, all over the world to unlock aspects of optical systems and networks! We have achieved great results, published exceptional papers, we have received prizes, grants, awards, accolades, fellowships - but most importantly - made great friendships and had a wonderful time!Hopefully we will do more together! Thank you to all the members of our advisory board who have helped to strengthen the programme and keep it focused. The impact of UNLOC has been tremendous and will continue through our new EPSRC programme grant TRANSNET on transforming optical networks through intelligent transceivers, unlocking bounds and capacities, and breaking new ground!

Latest News

The 2018 JLT Best Paper Award awarded to UNLOC paper

20 March 2018
The 2018 JLT Best Paper Award has been awarded to the UNLOC paper "Replacing the Soft-Decision FEC Limit Paradigm in the Design of Optical Communication Systems" authored by Alex Alvarado, Erik Agr...

13 UNLOC papers accepted for OFC 2018

12 December 2017
Gigantic contribution from UNLOC to the next Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC) to be held in San Diego, California, 11 – 15 March 2018. Below a list of the 13 accepted manuscripts:...

UNLOC has a new Nature Communications paper

05 December 2017
05 December, 2017 A new Nature Communications paper by the title "Bidirectional Wavelength-Division Multiplexing Transmission Over Installed Fibre Using a Simplified Optical Coherent Access T...

This project is supported under the Programme Grants Scheme of EPSRC with a reference number EP/J017582/1. The project started on 1 May, 2012 with funding spread over 5 years. The project has received a funding extension and is now funded until 28 February 2018.